


Words Yet Unspoken

by APIII



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Lancaster (RWBY), slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27059266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APIII/pseuds/APIII
Summary: At first, they had both stumbled through the motions, so much uncertainty in their body language that both of the socially inept leaders had picked up on it. At one point, their "Leader Meetings" had turned from a chance to vent or chat about their most inner thoughts and actual plans to merely chatting for hours on end about anything and everything. Neither had done it gracefully at first, and the awkward pauses were certainly long and riddled with coughs to try and transition into the next topic. Eventually though, it got easier, and the topics went from safe if a little dull topics like guns and their team exercises to more private and intimate topics.
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Ruby Rose
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	Words Yet Unspoken

**Words Yet Unspoken**

* * *

Ruby giggled as she pushed herself off Jaune's chest, smirking at his faux look of indignant disgust as he patted off his shirt like she had sullied it. They had arrived at Atlas recently, with Qrow advising they get comfortable while he and Ozpin went about meeting with Ironwood. After the betrayal of Lionheart, everyone was a lot more wary, not just the adults. 

No one walked around alone, even in pairs on the rare occasions they didn't walk as entire teams. If anyone had thought that months on the move, weeks of trekking through the woods, or being separated in others’ cases, would have everyone fighting for some breathing room, they were mistaken. While some relationships had been strained and people were actively working to mend those bridges, others had gone up and made all the stronger for all their hardships. 

The awkward silence as Jaune and Ruby stared at one another in the hallway, almost reminiscent of their talks in Beacon, alluded to that. This time, it was the Knight that stepped forward, other times the Reaper. Whichever did would thank the other for the lovely time out, either assuring them they'll cover whatever costs their outing had garnered or letting it go unsaid and instead just asking when they'll be free to do so again. Other times, they just caught back up with the group on the road, having never gone anywhere at all, merely slowing down or speeding up to catch up to the other and talk, pace slowing until the group eventually overtook them. 

At first, they had both stumbled through the motions, so much uncertainty in their body language that  _ both  _ of the socially inept leaders had picked up on it. At one point, their "Leader Meetings" had turned from a chance to vent or chat about their most inner thoughts and actual plans to merely chatting for hours on end about anything and everything. Neither had done it gracefully at first, and the awkward pauses were certainly long and riddled with coughs to try and transition into the next topic. Eventually though, it got easier, and the topics went from safe if a little dull topics like guns and their team exercises to more private and intimate topics. Drinks and food, from little pastries at tea shops to the rare entrée at an actual restaurant, or merely their rations as they walked on the road, were all not quite ignored but put on the back burner as both gave each other their undivided attention for the entire time. 

They were together so often they actually acknowledged it at one point, a particularly nice evening where Ruby pointed out that she almost felt embarrassed at it. To her surprise, Jaune confidently disagreed. He had told her that he wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. They all spent every other minute of the day with each other, and it wasn't as if they didn't interact 

with their teammates as individuals either. 

Ruby's face had flushed crimson, the urge to hide behind her tattered cloak stomped down as she made a rebuttal. She argued that neither of them exactly took out another team member in quite the same fashion nearly as often. Jaune looked like he was going to remind her that they were on a Team Leader outing, for she truly had forgotten that she called them that, but instead hesitated for a moment, words seemingly dying on his tongue as he seemed to mull over his thoughts. 

In the end, he conceded her point. Agreeing with her because at this point, even he knew their relationship had evolved. Sure, he knew Nora and Ren as well as he knew Ruby, knew their deepest fears and their dreams. You didn't live with someone, trust them with your life without hesitation and expect them to do the same with you without developing that sort of bond. But he couldn't say the same for Ruby's team. Sure, he still trusted them, even with his life. But he wasn't as close with them, didn't know them as well, not their little habits and faults. Odd quirks or deeply held beliefs. 

He almost wanted to say that they couldn't consider themselves best friends and not spend so much time together though. He hadn't though, not that day nor any other. Jaune had worried saying it would make it true. That they were only best friends, and that was all. Little did he know Ruby had been hanging onto his every word, anxiety gnawing at her stomach as she waited with bated breath for him to dismiss their time together as just that, best friends spending time together. Unlike the anxiety that faded with time, the ray of excited hope that dared to shine when he didn't never died. 

Not every conversation they had was so light in tone though. There were times when they truly vented on how they felt, and not just good natured complaints about their fellow teammates. Jaune had confessed to his ignorance of Pyrrha's feelings to him up until the day she… Jaune hadn't been able to say it, though he hadn't needed to, and the sad smile Ruby gave him, along with her hand slowly linking theirs together, had told him he didn't need to. He explained how he had been going through a lot, inner turmoil that had occupied his mind for almost the entirety of their time at Beacon, all things so inconsequential that he had vehemently cursed himself out in front of Ruby for having ever worried about them in the first place. To his shock, she has scolded him with fury for berating himself over it. They were all guilty of living much simpler, ignorant lives back then, and any notions that if he had his priorities straight would have changed anything was just sheer arrogance. Nothing short of knowledge he would never have could do that. Jaune hadn't been able to meet her gaze when she explained it all so tactfully, but Ruby had seen his heaving shoulders, his tight grip on her hand, and heard the faintly whispered "thank you" for absolving him of his guilt. 

Ruby had gone on to admit that she had her own guilt consuming her at one point. Just after Beacon, where she had argued that she could have prevented it all. Jaune could only get out "But-" before she continued on, explaining that she wasn't referring to the battle between Cinder and Pyrrha. She  _ had _ run her fastest that day, faster even with Weiss' Glyphs. She had given her everything that day and made no mistakes, she just wasn't good enough. Hadn't been good enough. No, Ruby told Jaune about the terrible, terrible day back in the winter when she woke up after the fall of Beacon. When she learned of what had happened, and forced to bed rest, and connected the dots. If Ruby had been able to just hold out longer against Cinder at the CCT, brought along any teammate or even any staff member, not just worn some  _ damned  _ heels, she could have stopped Cinder's plan in its entirety that night. Maybe not even that much, but just put some more pressure on her. Reveal her identity and force her to go about things differently. Maybe then… 

Of course, Jaune parroted her own words back at her, though he understood the gravity of the situation and uttered it with no less sincerity and gentleness than her own words, maybe even more. Told her how doing so might have had Cinder just killing her and whomever else she brought with her. A cornered rat and all that, though Cinder was far more dangerous than any Grimm they had yet to encounter for some time yet. Where the two of them might have hesitated to deliver a killing blow, Cinder wouldn't have, and they wouldn't hesitate today merely because of the atrocities they knew she was capable of today, but because anything else would never land. 

That day had ended with the two of them merely huddling together, bodies flush for however long the other needed with neither willing to ask when that would be. Necessity had forced them apart, in the end, returning to their teams, hands clasped together until the very end. 

After that point, Ruby had made it a habit to grab Jaune’s hand as often as she could when they went out on their dates, for that’s around the time they acknowledged the outings for what they were, dates. In that odd manner where everything remained the same but changed in every conceivable way, Jaune and Ruby grew to anticipate them more and more, once again stumbling through the awkward phase where they questioned one another’s every word for new intent, questioning their own intent when the inevitable question of ‘what do I want?’ popped into both their heads. If life were different, maybe they would have taken longer, savored the innocence more so, but the life of a professional Hunstmen had them power through the stumbles, neither as awkward as they once were. The benefit of how intimate they were with one another was also a major factor, boosting both their confidence to the level where they didn’t worry about how the other felt. 

Jaune still worried about his appearance as much as the next guy, Ruby still made sure to check her combat skirt wasn’t ruffled, but neither truly had a moment where they worried if the other was interested or not. And of course, they slowly evolved from handholding to more. Funnily enough, it was the Reaper that boldly tread where none dared tread before, Jaune’s breath catching damn near every time she would brush her body up against him unnecessarily, though she never heard him complain. Mere handholding turned to their fingers interlaced, and much to her delight, Jaune had a habit of mindlessly running his thumb across her palm, sometimes tracing letters when he noticed her all but purring in adoration. There were lots of little quirks that both enjoyed invoking the other to do, Jaune secretly loving it whenever he could make Ruby shyly blush but perk up a little in confidence and part her hair to the side before looking up at him once again. Ruby herself would never dare admit it but her heart all but soared out through her skull every time Jaune would wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her into his side, the rather significant growth spurts he had after Beacon leaving him a full foot taller than her even in heels. Another little thing Ruby would do that had Jaune fighting the urge to coo at her would be whenever she would meet his gaze for a moment whenever she caught him staring, meekly look off to the sides before looking back at him again with a small smile. 

By far though, Ruby’s most favorite had to be whenever Jaune felt bold enough to flirt with her, usually by deliberately twisting his words and misinterpreting them to have him quickly gawk and try to correct himself. While it’s certainly fun for her, the real reason she considered it so was because early on in the relationship, she’d done the very same thing. Where one particularly bold Jaune had asked her what he did to end up with such a girl, and Ruby, who admittedly might’ve been sitting on his lap by that point, tilted her head to the side and openly wondered what he had done. In her own words, she was a catch he didn’t deserve, no one, really. Expecting Jaune to scoff at her faux egotistical thoughts, he instead interlaced their hands, pulling her face close to his as he leaned in to whisper, telling her that he honestly agreed, lips inches from hers while he waited for her to pull away if she wanted to. She ended up leaning in to close the gap and have her first kiss with Jaune, her first real kiss with anyone, actually. She admitted that to him after it, and he asked her if it was a good one. Ruby had told him that he’d get better with practice, though by that point, Jaune had caught onto what she was doing and just kissed her back in response, but Ruby didn’t mind him spoiling the fun. 


End file.
